Deportation trends are changing despite the fact that President Obama will not commit to unilateral action and Congress is unable to pass a reform bill. The media is full of stories claiming that nothing has changed in the past few years, but the truth is that reform supporters are going on hunger strikes and creating rallies not because they are upset at a lack of change. Rather, they recognize that deportation policies are changing, though not necessarily for the better.

A lack of funding for Immigrations and Customs Enforcement is a driving force behind some of these changes. Under previous administrations, support for ICE was greater, allowing for more humane practices. For instance, although ICE agents have long held the power to deport immigrants without due process, they often gave immigrants the opportunity to voluntarily return to their home countries without taking a mark on their immigration records.

However, without proper funding, ICE faces a backlog of cases stretching to more than 300,000 people. In an attempt to keep up, agents have taken to deporting undocumented immigrants without sending them to a judge first. New Republic reports that some deportees have strong cases for remaining in the country, but they aren’t given the chance in fight in court.

Asylum Seekers Face A Similarly Expedited Process

Not long ago, when a person asked for asylum in the United States, they had the opportunity to state their case before a judge. The Los Angeles Times reports that asylum officers are taking a more critical approach to initial interviews. Now, they only send the case to a judge if the person has a significant chance of obtaining asylum.

The cause of this change is two fold. First, decreases in funding hamper the system across the board. Second, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, asylum requests rose by 700 percent in the past five years.

If you or a loved one faces deportation, and you think you have a good argument for staying in the country, it’s extremely important that you contact an attorney right away. At O’Brien Law Group, we have more than 15 years of experience in the field, and we will help you seek an audience with a judge to make your case.

Recently, President Obama assured the country that ICE agents are most concerned with deporting criminal offenders to create a safer environment. Press TV reports that the statistics paint a very different picture. In fact, only about one in five deportees has committed a serious crime. Most deportations occur after traffic violations, and speeding tickets don’t really qualify as a serious criminal offense.

If you face deportation, you should know that there are a variety of options available to immigrants who wish to remain in the country. If you meet certain criteria, you could legally remain living and working in the United States. To learn more about how an immigration lawyer from our office can help you, call us today at 502-400-7890.